Tug of War
by SGVero
Summary: Men are not always what they appear to be. Who is the real bad guy? What will become of Vero; will she live, or will either side finally get their wish to see her die?
1. True colors

The sound of footsteps on gravel reached my ears. I felt the constriction of every muscle in my body as it became suddenly tense. I drew a deep breath and forced my clenched fists to flex back into a somewhat relaxed position.

I didn't have to look to know. I knew. I knew that I knew. I knew that if I turned around to look, it wouldn't be anyone else. Instead, I stood, rigid, my back to him.

"You came." It was a statement, not a question. I bit my lower lip as the footsteps came to an abrupt halt. I had debated which approach would be the best, but had failed to come to a conclusion. That left me shooting in the dark, merely hoping for whatever could be considered as best.

"Your message said it was urgent. I don't even know how you got my cell number, I don't remember ever giving it to you."

I couldn't help but smile. I had my ways. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you came."  
"Yeah, about that. What's going on?"

I sighed, the smile long wiped off my face. I couldn't really continue to avoid facing him. Slowly, ever so slowly, I turned his way, and automatically winced at the sight of the perplexity on his face.

On his cute, so adorable face.

"Damnit," I muttered, lowering my eyes to the ground. I fished around for words, but the English language failed me at that point. Sighing, I reluctantly raised my eyes to his once more.

"Look. This is just... I mean, I don't think..."

"What?" He arched an eyebrow, driven into a state of deeper confusion. "What's going on?"

I sent him an icy glare. "It's not exactly easy to say, okay? I don't know how to word it."

Another look of perplexity. "Okay, so... Just say whatever comes to mind."

I frowned. "I guess I don't have much of a choice."

A small shrug, with a smug look on his face. He wasn't making things any easier.

_Okay_, I thought to myself. _Just come out with all of it. Tell him how you thought you were developing feelings for him and how he completely destroyed any hopes of that when he told you about the incident. Wow. It doesn't sound so hard in my head.  
_  
"Well?"

If looks could kill, I would have spared myself the emotional agony of having to admit it to him right then and there.

"Okay." I took a deep breath and decided to just come out with it all. "We've gotten to know each other, and for awhile I've been liking what I've been learning... I've been liking it a lot." I took note of the change in his emotions; his body tensed, as mine had; his eyes widened slightly in surprise, and I was pretty sure he knew what I was getting at. "I was... Growing feelings. I found myself dreaming again. I was happy... You made me happy."

Here I paused, allowing him to digest what I had said so far. He blinked a few times, and nodded silently. I took it as a sign to continue, and when I started back, the words began to tumble out of my mouth.

"I liked you, okay? I liked you, I wanted you to notice me, I wanted us to have a chance, and I wanted you to like me too. And before I could even get so much as one chance, you had to go and ruin everything by letting me know the kind of person you truly are."

This hit hard, and was unexpected. I could tell by the intake of breath, by the subtle yet noticeable drawback. The roles had been reversed; now it was he who was dumbstruck, and I who waited anxiously for an answer.

"I.. Well.. Wait." He frowned, suddenly regaining his air of confidence and certainty. "What do you mean, letting you know 'who I truly am'?"

I tried to shrug it off, uncomfortable with confronting him with this in particular. I decided to beat around the bush a little, if not just to buy me more time until I could figure out a good answer. "Well.. You... You know."

He shook his head in obvious denial. "No, actually, I don't know. I really don't know what you're talking about."

I sighed. "I just know, okay?"

"About what?"

"About _it_."

Another intake of breath, though this one was different. It was more audible; more... Serious. I frowned, slightly taken aback. I arched an eyebrow, imploring him to speak.

"But... How?"

"It's not really that hard to see."

He scoffed arrogantly. "What are you talking about?! I'm as discrete about that as any other of my kind, if not even more! There's no way you could possibly have just NOTICED. Someone must have told you." Suddenly he took a step towards me, the usual cheerful look in his eyes now replaced with a more menacing, evil glint. "Who told you?"

"What are you talking about?" I stared at him, beginning to feel afraid. This was highly uncharacteristic of him, and he had changed so drastically. I thought he had known what I was talking about, but now I wasn't so sure.

"You know," he breathed, not even trying to conceal the malevolence in his voice. "Telling someone other than one of our own is punishable by death."

I stared at him in disbelief, taking a step back for every step he took towards me. Suddenly, I felt something hard against my back; I tried to move further backwards, but couldn't. I was against a wall.  
"You have to tell me who told you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I repeated. I saw the anger flash in his eyes before he went to strike. With reflexes I hadn't known possible, I dodged his fist by a hair's width as it smashed into the wall behind me. I stared up at him in shock.

"What the hell-"

"You're protecting him, aren't you?!" He roared and made for a second strike, and again some unworldly presence granted me godly agility as I dodged his attempt to make contact. I scrambled a few feet away, and whirled to face him. I frowned; I was not looking at the same person I had started talking to just a few moments ago.

"What.. What's going on?" I stared as he drew himself up to his full height and eyed me in a way a tiger would eye its prey. I felt my body begin to tremble.

"You look frightened."

"That's because I am," I stated, deciding to try with an honest approach. "Can you please stop this? You're scaring me!"

"I wouldn't have to scare you if you could just tell me who you're trying to protect."

Once again I found myself backing away as he inched towards me. My mind was overflowing with questions, with doubts, but most of all with fears.

_I don't understand,_ I thought, keeping my eyes locked on his for fear of what might happen if I dared to look away. I swallowed nervously to try to dislodge the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat, though the attempt was in vain.

"Just tell me who it is."

"Can you stop with the whole I'm-protecting-someone deal?" I hissed, beginning to feel slightly annoyed. "I'm not protecting anyone."

In a split second, his teeth were bared, a loud, ferocious snarl coming from deep in his throat. I saw him prepare half a second before he pounced; but this time, the godly presence did not come to my aid.

"LIAR!" He growled, and suddenly he flung himself at me. It happened so fast; I was aware of his face against mine, his arms around my waist, and then I was tackled to the rough gravel road. Before I could so much as move a muscle, he pinned me to the ground, pressing a leg against each side of my body and latching tightly onto my wrists.

"Stop... Making this difficult," he hissed, lowering his face so it was not even an inch away from mine. I struggled against his grasp, but he was far too strong; I couldn't move.

"Get OFF!"

"No." His lips twitched upwards in a cunning smile. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what I want to know."

I groaned and tugged fruitlessly at my wrists, knowing it was impossible to free myself, yet trying desperately nonetheless. He laughed, mocking the futility of my efforts.

"I'm stronger than you," he said, a sing-song quality to his voice. He cocked his head to one side, eying what was the beginning of anger swelling in my eyes. "You can get as angry as you want; it won't change anything."

I opened my mouth to respond, but found myself once again at a loss for words. What could I say? There was nothing TO say. I was clueless as to what he was talking about, and I could plead innocence all I wanted; he wasn't going to believe a word of it.

That left me in a very uncomfortable... and dangerous situation.

"Thinking of finally telling me the truth now, are you?" He smiled at the look of concentration on my face. Suddenly, an idea struck me like a light bulb being turned on in the dark of night. I feigned a defeated sigh, and nodded.

"Yes," I muttered. "I give in. I'll... tell you."

"Good."

I drew a deep breath as he released his firm grip on my wrists and stood up. I clambered to my feet, relieved to be off my back and off the gravel ground.

"So. Who told you about us?"

I gulped nervously as my mind raced to produce an answer... Any answer. Something that would lead him astray and give me enough time to get away.

"Well?"

_Just give him a name,_ shouted a voice at the back of my head. Automatically my mouth opened and produced the first name that came to my mind.

"Jan."

Richard blinked at the mention of Jan's name. "What?"

I clasped my hands over my mouth immediately after I had spoken the name. _Oh, you twat,_ scolded the same voice that had driven me to speak. _Couldn't you have given him a name that was a LITTLE more convincing?  
_  
"Ha!" Richard grinned. "That's funny."

I wanted to ask why, but it was as if my larynx had been suddenly disconnected from my brain. I cocked my head and frowned, illustrating my confusion. He smirked.

"Good." He folded his arms across his chest in content. "We have actually grown slightly suspicious of him recently."

I felt my heart skip a beat as the realization of what I had done began to sink in. I still didn't understand what was going on, but I had very bad feeling that I had just put Jan in grave danger... Just to save myself.

"See? That wasn't so bad. I'd thank you for cooperating, but it would be so cliché."

"You're welcome," I mumbled, beginning to feel overwhelmed with guilt. _Shit, shit, shit,_ I thought to myself. _I have to do something. If he goes after Jan... If something happens... It'll be all my fault._

"You know what else would be cliché?" He paused slightly for dramatic effect. "Seeing as how I don't need you anymore..."

My eyes widened in horror. "You... You wouldn't...!"

He smirked. "I'm not usually one for clichés, but... I _could_ make an exception just this once."

I shook my head vigorously. "No! No, I gave you what you wanted! You have to let me go!"

"I don't have to do anything," he replied matter-of-factly. "Though... I will make this fun, I promise you that."

I took a step back, staring at him in shock. I had just put Jan in danger... And it had been all for nothing. Richard was going to kill me anyway.

"Alright." Richard smiled. "I'm going to turn my back, and I'm going to count to five. After that, you'll either die, or you'll be out of my sight." He paused as he regarded my reaction in amusement. "Ready? Go!"

He swiftly turned his back to me, and I felt compelled to run. I whirled and ran, not knowing where I was going, but hoping I would find somewhere, anywhere, to hide. The sound of his voice counting reverberated painfully in my ears, and I found a rock to duck behind just as I heard him count five.

_Don't move,_ I said softly to myself. I hugged my knees to my chest, unsure if I was completely concealed behind the rock. I shut my eyes, and prayed.

"Open your eyes, Vero!"

I opened my eyes, and let out a shrill scream. Who - no, WHAT - stood before me was definitely not Richard. His jet black skin... The fire red markings on his arms... The demonic wings that protruded from his back...

"What... The... HELL."

Richard laughed. "Been there, done that." He flexed his wings, and I gasped; they were massive. He grinned at my state of shock.

"Impressive, aren't they?" He reached back to gently pat his left wing. "Who needs the metro to get to school when you've got a set of these?"

I pressed my back against the rock, unable to move. _This is not real..._ I forced myself to repeat in my mind. _This can't be happening... This can't be real... This is NOT real...  
_  
Richard smiled. "Too bad. If you hadn't found out about this, I would've liked having you as a friend. Oh," he added as an afterthought. "I'm also flattered that you like me. Though I guess you might want to reconsider those feelings now, huh?"

"This isn't real," I muttered aloud in an attempt to make it more convincing. I closed my eyes and repeated the saying three times; but when I opened it, he was still there, still a demonic creature, still staring down at me with an utterly bemused expression.

"See? I told you I would make it fun." He chucked, and sighed. "Sadly, I have to get going. I have to arrange a meeting with Jan."

I squeaked softly, the mention of Jan's name dumping more guilt on my already guilt-ridden conscience. Jan was innocent... He didn't deserve to die.

"Well. Any last words, a last request maybe?"

A shaky sigh escaped my lips, and a tear rolled down my cheek and splashed onto my hand. I blinked in shock; I hadn't been aware I had started to cry.

"Aww, touching; but crying won't save you."

I bit my lower lip and shakily got to my feet. I drew my fist across my eyes to rid them of the tears.

"Fine." I took a deep breath, and raised my head to look him in the eyes. I had decided that if I was going to die, I might as well do it with pride. I forced a smile, though it was more of a grimace.

"I do have one last request."

Richard cocked his head to the side, intrigued. "Oh? And what would that be?"

I balled my hands into fists, clenching them tightly. "Go ahead and kill me," I croaked. "But know that I hope you burn in the deepest pit of hell for the rest of eternity, you evil son of a bitch."

I saw the anger flare in his eyes, and I saw him dash towards me. He grabbed a fistful of my shirt and effortlessly tossed my body sideways, as a child might toss an unwanted toy. I held my breath as my body flew through the air, but the air was smashed out of my lungs as my body collided with the gravel on the ground.

"Damn you," a growling voice cursed. I winced in pain, and reluctantly rolled onto my side so I could look up. He was standing there, as he had been only minutes before, glaring down at me. I saw a flash of movement, and suddenly something crashed forcefully into my stomach. My body flew backwards, and once again crashed into the rocky ground, rolling over a few times before its momentum was lost. I bit back a scream and drew fast, shallow breaths, every intake of air filling my lungs with oxygen and pain. I groaned and tried to move, but my muscles screamed in agony and refused to comply. I shut my eyes and lay motionless, willing for the pain to stop.

All of a sudden I felt something ice cold enclose around my neck, and lift my body from the ground. My eyes flashed open as my hands flew to the giant claw that was constricting my neck. I gasped for breath, this time not paying heed to the searing pain in my lungs; I needed air. I needed to breathe.

"Let's see how long you last," Richard snarled, pressing his cold fingers tighter into my neck. I choked and sputtered for air, trying in vain to pry his fingers from my neck; the corners of my vision had already grown dark. In one last attempt to free myself, I channeled all my energy into my left leg and drove it upwards in a swift kick. I felt it collide with something.

"Ow, damnit!" Suddenly the constriction around my neck lifted. I collapsed to the ground, pain searing to new heights. I paid it no heed; I drew in as much air as my lungs would allow, ignoring the throbbing heat in my neck. I had never been so relieved to breathe in my entire life; I gulped in the air hungrily.

"There went your last breaths, Vero! Say goodbye!"

I opened my mouth to protest, and for the third time I felt my body being lifted without any effort off the ground, and I was sent flying. This time, my side collided against a wall with an audible snap. I let out a cry of pain as my body tumbled to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"Ah, the sound of human bone breaking... It's like music to my ears."

I wondered what he was talking about, and suddenly I became aware of a new sensation, a pain hotter and more extreme than the rest. Shakily I moved my head to look at my arm, and almost cried out in shock at the peculiar angle at which my elbow was bent. I closed my eyes and let my head fall gently to the ground. It was over.

"Well, let's get this over with."

As soon as the words left his mouth, I was hoisted up in the same manner as I had been before, but this time with two hands around my neck instead of just one. I felt myself suddenly pinned against a wall, and the hands began to tighten. I had no way to stop it, no energy to fight it.

This was it.

I struggled to lift my eyelids, which had grown surprisingly heavy. I wanted to die cursing his face in my mind, cursing his existence with my soul. The evil glint in his eyes was the last thing I focused on as my vision began to rapidly fade.

"NO!"

Suddenly there was a blinding flash of the brightest white light I had ever seen. I felt the hands around my neck shake, and then I was blissfully aware of a soothing warmth prying the ice claws off of me. I slid down the wall to my knees, and my body lurched forward. I was prepared to meet gravel for the umpteenth time that day, but miraculously my body fell instead into open arms.

"It's okay," a soothing voice caressed my ears. "You're going to be okay."

I mumbled something inaudible, and the voice hummed a soft, melodic tone. I grimaced and somehow managed to pry one eye open. Had I any energy left, I would have let out a cry of shock.

Instead, my last bit of energy finally gave out, and I met unconsciousness knowing the last thing I had seen was an angel.


	2. Façade

"How is she doing?"

"Good. She should regain consciousness momentarily."

"And... She'll be fine, right? No damage done?"

A pause, and a soft sigh. "After facing... one of them, I'm surprised you brought her back alive. She'll have to keep the cast for a few days, just to make sure the new bone marrow has set."

Footsteps; loud at first, and then they gradually faded away. I tried to process the information I had just overheard, and failed to make sense of any of it. I made to open my eyes, but to my surprise found I lacked the strength to do so. That or my eyelids had put on weight. Or someone had glued my eyelids shut.

I decided, whatever the reason for my impossible-to-lift eyelids, to keep my eyes closed. Instead, I tried to speak; I could hear, so I could hold a conversation with someone.

"Mmbgh."

"Oh, you're waking up." A pause, and then I felt something soft and incredibly warm brush my left hand. The sensation sent a shiver up my arm and jostled something in my memory, something I couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Can you open your eyes?"

"Nnn." I frowned at the sound of my own voice, so incomprehensible and cacophonous. I felt slightly inferior compared to the sweet, melodic voice of whoever I was talking to.

"It's okay. It takes a lot the first time you come to." A pause, and another soft sigh, not dissimilar to the one I had heard earlier. "This may help."

I wanted to ask what, but didn't have the voice. Suddenly I felt a pressure on my eyelids, and instinctively I went to turn my head away, but found I couldn't.

Then I felt it.

It was not a pressure, but a warmth, and it was spreading from the source just slightly touching my eyelids into my very eyes themselves. It continued to spread, coursing through my body until I felt like I myself was radiating this heat, this lovely heat. I drew a deep breath, and suddenly my eyelids flew open, as if the weight they had bore just moments before had been lifted.

"Better, I see."

I blinked a few times to focus my vision. Once I could see clearly, I turned my head just slightly to get a view of my healer. My eyes widened in shock.

"Jan..!"

Jan smiled. "The one and only."

Immediately I made to sit up, but suddenly Jan's hand was pressing on my shoulder, forcing me back down. "Woah, woah! Easy, lie back down."

Normally I would have been reluctant to comply with such an order, but I had, in fact, been grateful. Though I had only lifted my body a few inches from my bed, the act had robbed an enormous amount of energy from my body. I coughed meekly.

"Look, Vero." Jan's hand was still on my shoulder, though now gripping it gently, in support. "We've taken care of you, but you're still very weak. You need to rest so your body can regenerate properly."

"What?" I blinked, confused. I was clueless as to what he was talking about.

"Let's put it this way," he said softly. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Easy, I..." I started, but my sentence trailed off. I frowned, and tried to pull together my most recent memories. It was all a hazy blur; I couldn't distinguish anything in particular.

"I... Don't really remember."

"It's okay." Jan smiled apologetically. "It'll start coming back gradually."

I frowned, not understanding or liking the way things were going. I opened my mouth to ask another question, but a bigger realization struck and stopped me from speaking.

Where was I?

"Jan."

"Yes?" Jan said softly, his lips curving upwards in a friendly smile. "What is it?"

"Where am I?"

"Um." There was a flicker of something dark in Jan's eyes, though he recovered from it quickly. With another apologetic smile, he said, "You should wait until you're a bit stronger for that."

I frowned, already becoming impatient with the fact that I was apparently weak and not even knowing the cause. Absentmindedly I went to stretch, and realized my right arm did not stretch out. I frowned, and it was then that I suddenly noticed my arm was in a cast.

"My arm..." I blinked, perplexed, and slightly upset. "What happened to my arm?"

"I..." Another pause, just as the first, followed by another quick recovery. "Don't worry about all that right now. Just focus on getting better."

I gazed at him skeptically. I wasn't fond of the way he was avoiding giving me answers, and I highly disliked his hesitations, however brief they were. I felt a wisp of doubt weave its way into my gut; something about this whole situation felt off.

"I should let you rest."

"Right." With eyes still filled with skepticism, I watched him turn to leave. An idea hit me just as he took a step towards the door.

"Jan, how did I get here?"

He paused, back to me, and I could almost see the hesitation in his eyes. He turned back to face me, once again with that apologetic smile that now, to me, seemed so fake.

"You've been up for awhile, Vero, you must be tired. Get some rest, I'll come back later."

I sighed; dancing around the bush was obviously getting me nowhere. I decided, while he was still here and before he could leave, to try a more direct approach.

"Why are you avoiding answering my questions?"

I had hit the nail on the head, and it showed. I saw the same flicker in his eyes, the flash of something dark that I couldn't comprehend, yet this time he wasn't so quick to regain his composure.

"Well... It's... Difficult to say."

I arched an eyebrow. "_'Difficult to say'_?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Jan let out a sigh of impatience. "You're not ready to handle it, okay? Just listen to me and get some rest for now. I can answer all your questions when you have a bit more strength."

"No."

Jan's eyes widened. "What?"

"I think I'm strong enough now. I want to know what's going on."

I watched in annoyance as Jan rolled his eyes. "Trust me, you're not."

"How do you know?"

"Because you can't even sit up."

I huffed arrogantly. "I can too, I just feel like lying down."

Jan shook his head. "I'm going to leave now. I'll come check up on you in a bit."

"Wait!"

Jan stopped mid-turn, and let out an exasperated sigh. Muttering some profanities under my breath, I rolled slightly onto my left side, and tried to use my left arm to push myself up to a sitting position. I was halfway there when suddenly Jan was back to the side of my bed, pushing me back down again.

"HEY-"

"Shut up and listen, Vero." Jan pressed my shoulders down against the mattress, and stared right into my eyes. "I know this is hard for you. You're confused, you're probably in some degree of pain, and you're scared. But trust me, right now you need to rest."

I bit my tongue to hold back from making a snide remark, and looked away. I couldn't stand feeling so helpless, so vulnerable, so afraid, so... pathetic. Nothing was making any sense. I just wanted some answers to make me feel a little more at ease.

Slowly Jan removed his hands, waiting to see if I would try to move again. When he saw I was lying still, he smiled meekly and stood up.

"I'm leaving now, but I'll be back in a few minutes. You better be asleep when I get back."

"Fine," I muttered, and shut my eyes tightly, pretending to be asleep. I listened to the sounds of him pattering across the room, and then to the soft sound of the door being pulled gently open. I waited for the door to close, but the sound never reached my ears. Curious, I pried one eye open and stole a glance at the opposite end of the room.

Jan was there, his back pressed against the wall next to the door. I opened my eyes and frowned.

"What-"

"SHH!" He hissed from just beside the doorway. Confused, I opened my mouth to ask what was going on, when all of a sudden I was staring at the white wall where Jan had been a fraction of a second before.

He had disappeared.

I was going to call out his name, but at the same second, someone walked through the doorway. My eyes shifted from the spot where Jan had disappeared to this new figure, and I watched as he stepped into the room, looked around, and closed the door behind him.

Then his eyes were on mine.

"Vero, right?"

I blinked, caught off guard at the mention of my name. I watched as the man came over, and I frowned as I took in more details of his appearance. He was of a darker complexion than Jan, and sported a much different attire. He seemed to have about him an aurora of darkness and cold, where Jan had one of light and warmth. Oddly enough he looked vaguely familiar, but again I found myself unable to pinpoint why.

"Hmph. You appear to be in fairly good shape."

Still too shocked to speak, I watched in silence as the man looked me over with his eyes. He chuckled softly to himself. "I have to tell you, these guys aren't half bad."

I froze. Suddenly I recalled having heard another voice when I had first started coming to. The voice had mentioned something about the fact that I had faced "one of them", and I couldn't help but feel this man happened to be one of whoever "they" happened to be.

I took a swift glance at where Jan had stood moments before. There was something about this man that Jan hadn't liked, I knew that for certain.

However, I saw an opportunity being presented to me, and I chose to seize it.

"These guys?"

The man looked at me, dumbfounded. "Don't tell me you don't know about them yet?"

I shook my head in denial to the man's obvious amusement. He shook with tiny bouts of laughter.

"That's rich... They haven't even told you... At least we're honest with our kind, and don't deceive them like these guys are deceiving you."

"What?" I frowned, curiosity spiked. "What do you mean, they're deceiving me?"

"Tsk tsk, you really don't know anything... How pitiful."

I frowned, somewhat insulted. "It's not my fault, I've only just recently come to. I tried asking about what happened, but I'm not getting any answers."

"Asking about what happened?" The man was suddenly serious. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "I... Don't really remember how I got here." I indicated to the cast on my arm with my eyes. "I can't even remember how I got that. I guess I hit my head or something, because all of my recent memories are pretty much a blur."

The man shook his head slowly. "I don't believe it..."

I cocked my head to one side, perplexed. The man noticed my confusion, and sighed. "Looks like someone's tampered with your memories."

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "'_Tampered with my memories_'?"

The man nodded once. "Yep. And they call themselves guardians... What a load of bull."

"Guardians?" I repeated, skeptical of the term. Obviously this man was not a part of whatever Jan belonged to. If Jan was part of these so-called _guardians_... Then to what did this man belong?

"Alright." The man glanced around, suddenly aware of his surroundings. "We have to get out of here."

"What?"

The man looked at me, right into my eyes. There was something in his eyes, something deep in his soul... Something that compelled me to trust him, to go with him. I hesitated, somehow knowing that Jan was somewhere nearby. I had to weigh my options carefully, and I knew I had to make a decision quickly.

On one hand, I had Jan and whoever else he was with, who had apparently saved me and nursed me back to health. Though they weren't giving me any answers, it was evident that they did care for my well-being.

On the other hand, I had this mysterious man whom I knew nothing about. If I had been watching a movie, I would have singled him out as the bad guy from the start. However, something about him made me feel obliged to trust him, to go with him. That and the fact that he seemed to be all too willing to answer every and any question I had.

I felt a tightness in my chest as the man's eyes continued to bore into mine.

I had to make a choice, and I had to make one fast.


	3. Desperation

"You have less than 60 seconds."

My jaw dropped as I gawked at the man in disbelief. How could he force a decision of such significance upon me and not even give me a minute to think it through?

"I...I..." I stammered, speaking just for the sake of making sounds. Somehow I drew the strength to tear my eyes away from his gaze and instead directed my focus at the ceiling. I drew a deep breath; so much was happening so fast... I was exhausted, my mind tripping over itself in an attempt to catch up with processing all the information that was being constantly thrown at me.

Out of the bottom of my eye I caught a flash of movement at the door. I dropped my gaze from the ceiling and peered at the figure that had just emerged from the now open doorway. He, too, was peculiarly dressed as the man beside me; however, his face was hidden behind the hood of a dark cloak.

I opened my mouth to ask who he was, but the man beside me lashed out before I could speak.

"What are you doing?!" He spat violently. "Get out, you're not supposed to be anywhere near her!"

My eyes widened slightly, my curiosity peaking. I had assumed that the newcomer was in alliance with this man, but his vigorous display of hostility seemed to oppose my thoughts.

"Chill." The newcomer swiftly strode over to the side of my bed, brusquely pushing the other man aside. His hand vanished inside his cloak as he fished for something from an inside pocket.

"I'll need you to stay still..."

I arched an eyebrow and started to ask why, but my voice died in my throat as I saw him draw a syringe from inside his cloak. I could practically feel the color drain from my face as I watched him push the air out, and then reach for my arm.

"No WAY." I hid my left arm underneath my back, my eyes never leaving the strangely-colored liquid in the syringe. "Get that thing away from me."

A soft sigh escaped his lips from within the hood of his cloak. "Please cooperate. I would prefer to not use force, but I will resort to it if I must."

I shrank back into the mattress as he leaned forward to grab my arm. His ice-cold fingers barely brushed my arm when he was suddenly pulled back by the other man.

"I can't let you do this! It's insane!"

The cloaked man sighed once more, though this was a sigh of impatience. "Guardians will be here in a matter of seconds. I'm sure Jan has tipped them off, so we'll have anywhere between four to ten to deal with." He gave a curt nod in my direction. "The only way to get her out is to put her under and leave our way."

There was a split second's worth of silence between the two men during which they seemed to share a form of communication deeper than words. Whatever it was, the man was suddenly complaisant, and relieved his grip on the cloaked man's arm. He turned to face me.

"Don't touch me," I growled softly. The cloaked man chuckled.

"You're the one not giving me a choice, Vero."

I shivered at the sound of my name. It disgusted me hearing it from him, but what upset me most was how it somehow sounded familiar. Everything seemed familiar in some way, some way I just couldn't put my finger on no matter how hard I tried.

All of a sudden I felt his fingers close around the top of my left arm and yank it out from underneath my back. I pulled at my arm in protest, trying to break free from his grasp. He growled as he tried to hold my arm firmly to inject the liquid in my arm.

"Goddamn it, STOP."

Suddenly the cloaked face was above mine, only a few inches away. I shrank back, unable to peel my eyes from the oval shadow hovering in front of me.  
In a flash of movement, his hands flew to the sides of the hood and drew it back from his face. I let out an audible gasp and froze.

"R-"

My voice was cut off as I felt the pinch of a needle being driven into my arm. I shrieked as its contents were forced into my body, and the syringe was quickly withdrawn.

"That wasn't so bad."

Richard got up from the bed just as the door slammed open. Five guardians charged into the room, each brandishing what looked like a whip made of pure light.

Suddenly the contents of the room began to swirl, and my vision began to fade. I witnessed Richard and the man prepare themselves as the guardians charged at them, and then the world fell black as I slipped into unconsciousness.


	4. Perspectives

Falling.

I was falling, accelerating without stop.

My hair whipped out behind me, the wind angrily slapping me in the face. I could hear its high-pitched whistle as it zipped by my ears.

I opened my lungs to scream, but the sounds were ripped from my throat and cast to the wind as I continued to plunge headfirst into darkness.

I shut my eyes and tried to think, but found I couldn't. I was only painfully aware of the sickening sensation in the depths of my stomach and the deafening beating of my heart against my ribs. I had a few fleeting thoughts, but the last one stuck in my mind. As the seconds flew by, the thought grew louder.

With a sudden urge to see, my eyelids flew open and I gazed downward. To my surprise - and also to my horror - I saw a light.

The last thought that passed through my mind before the ground flew up to meet me was that I was going to die.

--

_Vero.._

My name. I heard my name. I wasn't yet aware of my surroundings, but the sound of my name registered clearly in my brain.

_Wake up.._

Wake up? _I am awake,_ I wanted to say, but I couldn't. It was bizarre, but I couldn't really feel my body. I tried to focus on something - anything - and found nothing. I couldn't feel anything.

_Vero.._

There! There it was again. _Yes, I'm here!_ I called in my mind. I wanted to scream it out, to yell it over and over again. I wanted to let them know I was here.

_Wake up..._

I'm here! I'm here! I was screaming so loud in my head; why couldn't they hear me?

"Wake up!"

My eyelids shot open, and it was as if my soul had suddenly been reconnected to my body. It was then that I became aware of everything - of my body convulsing, of the pairs of hands holding me down to restrain me, and surprisingly of the deafening screeching of my own voice.

"Vero, you were having a nightmare, please calm down."

My eyes swiveled in the direction of the calming voice as my screeching along with the convulsions came to an abrupt halt.

"Better."

I frowned as the other men slowly released their holds on me. I scrutinized the man who had been speaking to me the entire time, his face puzzlingly familiar. He smirked, and the realization dawned as I remembered where I had seen this man.

It was the man who had first come to kidnap me when I had been with Jan.

He gazed at me, a bemused expression playing across his features. "Good, you're processing things. That's a good sign."

I frowned. A good sign? A good sign of what?

"That your memories were not adversely affected by our.. Trip. It was a little more rough than we would have preferred."

I paused as I reflected on this statement. I tried to recall my recent experiences, and to my surprise found that I was able to remember the majority of what had happened. My face fell as I suddenly remembered the fight that had taken place after I had fallen unconscious.

"Richard!" I sat bolt upright, my eyes wide. I had swept up to half the room when the man came and gently pushed me back down against the mattress.

"Lie down."

"No!" I cried, and my left arm twitched. I could feel my body threatening to thrash, the urge bubbling to the surface. I drew a deep breath and waited for the urge to dissipate. I looked up into his eyes.

"I want to see Richard."

The man let out a sigh heavy with exhaustion. "I... It's not a good idea for you to see him right now."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"Because." The man's gaze hardened, and I felt my heart skip a beat. He closed his eyes, and for a moment the room fell silent. When he reopened his eyes, his gaze had softened, but I could still see a fire blazed fiercely in the depths of his eyes.

"I don't know what you think of him, Vero; but whatever it is, you're wrong."

I blinked, completely thrown off by the sudden turn in conversation. I took a few seconds to think, and then decided it best to clarify what he meant before jumping to defend myself.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged lightly. "I mean, I don't know if you've gotten your previous memories back yet..."

I arched an eyebrow, and he took it as a sign to continue. "Well..." He paused, and looked around the room. As if he had been given some form of approval, he nodded and crossed the room to a corner, where a table was placed with two chairs. He grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it to the side of the bed and sat down.

"Okay." He paused again and frowned, casting around for the right words to say. He gave a curt nod.

"What?"

He looked me in the eye and held me in his gaze for what felt like an eternity. After the years of silence, he finally spoke.

"I'm going to bring your memories back."

I looked at him skeptically. "You're going to what?"

"It's okay, you won't feel a thing."

I fidgeted uneasily as he reached out and grasped my left hand with both of his. He closed his eyes and began to speak a language foreign to me and in a very low tone. It took me a few seconds to realize it must have been some sort of chant

Suddenly, the room disappeared; in its place stood an open yard of some sort, and I saw myself standing on a gravel road. I noticed Richard approaching myself from behind, and saw myself turn to face him. It was as if I was watching a motion picture of my life. We were speaking normally, as any one person would have a conversation with another.

Then, everything was different. He changed.

I gasped when I saw him attack me; I cringed when I saw him pin me to the ground. I frowned when I saw myself run, and I froze when I saw Richard in his true form.

He was a demon.

From that moment on, pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. I was watching Richard as he attacked me, as he nearly killed me, but my mind was busy processing this renewed information. Suddenly the image went blank, and I was back in the room I had been in before.

I whirled to face the man, eyes wide.

He must have also been a demon.

The man saw the panic in my eyes, and immediately withdrew his hands from my own. "Look, Vero-"

"Shut up."

He raised an eyebrow in shock. "What?"

"Shut up shut up shut UP!" I screamed, throwing my legs around the other side of the bed. I pushed myself to my feet and swayed; I had forgotten how long it had been since I had consciously been on my own two feet.

"Vero-!"

I took a step away from the bed and my body lurched forward. I envisioned myself hitting the floor face-first, but somehow my body found its way into the man's arms.

"Vero, calm down!"

"Get OFF-" I struggled against his arms that were now wrapped around my body, holding me tightly against his chest. I swore out loud, what little energy I had left draining rapidly.

"Vero, please..."

I let out an anguished sigh and ceased struggling. I could see that I had no choice but to comply with these.. creatures, at least for the time being.

Reluctantly I allowed him to guide me back to the bed. Once on my back I stared up at the ceiling, avoiding any eye contact with him.

"Don't try to pull any more of those stunts, Vero."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Whatever."

"Don't 'whatever' me, you know it's for your own good."

I scoffed arrogantly. "Yeah, I can see you guys really know what's best for me, like almost killing me."

He let out a long sigh. "I thought so..."

Curious, I turned my head to look at him. "You thought so?"

He nodded. "You think Richard is some kind of demon murderer who wanted to kill you, and now you think everyone else here as well as myself are the same."

I pursed my lips, not quite sure how to respond. It was true that I now felt this way, but he had worded it in a way which made it seem obvious that I was wrong.

He took my silence as agreement and continued. "Well... If you look at it from your perspective, it probably does look that way. But trust me, it's not what it looks like."

I smiled sarcastically. "Sure it's not. I suppose you're going to tell me now that Richard's actually the good guy in all this?"

The man smiled sheepishly. "Basically... Yes."

My jaw dropped. "You're not serious."

"I am."

I shook my head. "You, sir, are crazy."

"Why is it so hard to believe?"

I stared at him, baffled. "You're kidding me. Did you NOT watch my life movie with me? How the hell can you say Richard is the good guy when he almost KILLED me?!"

"That's just my point," he stated. "He almost killed you."

I raised my eyebrows, not understanding. He sighed and added, "He almost killed you, Vero. He ALMOST killed you. ALMOST, but he DIDN'T."

"Yeah, because Jan saved me."

The man jumped to his feet, suddenly enraged. "No. Don't you ever say that again."

I frowned, shocked at his sudden outburst. "Why? I obviously would have died seconds later."

The man shook his head, but then stopped. He gave a crooked smile, and nodded once.

"You're right."

I frowned, surprised. "I am?"

"Yes." He looked down at me, and smirked. "You would have died seconds later, but not by Richard's hands."

I tried to follow his train of thought, and almost burst out laughing when I realized his implications. "Wait. Let me get this straight. You're saying that Richard wouldn't have killed me, right?"

"Yes."

"So you're saying that if Richard had not ALMOST killed me, that _Jan_ would have killed me?"

"Yes. Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying."

I looked him in the eye and laughed. "That's funny."

"Actually, it's not funny at all." The man's smirk was gone, replaced by a scowl. "Richard did what he did to save you, Vero."

"Yeah. Because that's so obvious."

"It is when you open your mind and accept the fact that reality isn't always as you see it."

I scoffed, insulted and growing impatient. "Fine. Now my mind's wide open. Go ahead and explain how Richard almost killed me but wouldn't have killed me if Jan hadn't stopped him from killing me."

"Because," he retorted, "the only way to bring a Guardian out into the open is by threatening to kill his victim. Richard knew the only way he would lure Jan out was by nearly killing you, or appearing to do so."

I shook my head. "And why, pray tell, would Richard want to lure Jan out?"

The man sighed. "There's one reason, and one reason only, for one of us to lure a guardian out into the open like that."

I cocked my head to the side, imploring him to continue. "And that is?"

"To kill a guardian before he can kill his victim."

I pulled my eyes away from him, sick of his crap. It was so obviously a lie; Jan would never hurt me... Just picturing Jan, who was practically made of angelic light, beside Richard in his true form... It was obvious who was the real killer.

"Vero."

"What?"

"Look at me."

Reluctantly I turned to look at him, knowing there was nothing I could to do get him to shut up. "What?"

"The guardians may seem like angels, but that's exactly how they ensnare their victims. Richard risked a great deal to protect you from Jan."

I waved my left hand at him, brushing it away. "Yeah, whatever."

"Sooner or later, you'll understand the truth. I just hope it's not too late for you when you do."

"Mmhmm."

He sighed, and turned to the door. "I'm going to let you rest now. You need it."

"Oh, THANK you!" I said, elated that I was going to get some peace and quiet, and a break from his tall tale. He strode over to the door, and paused on his way out.

"One more thing."

I muttered under my breath, and looked up at him. "Yes?"

"You might not believe me, but believe Richard."

I nodded. "Right. What makes you think I'll believe him any more than I believe you?"

"Because. He nearly died in our last fight getting you out of the Guardian's hands."


	5. Why?

Slowly I opened my eyes. I rolled onto my left side and took a glance at the small digital alarm clock that had been placed on the wooden night table next to my bed.

2:18 AM.

"Damn," I muttered under my breath. I had been drifting in and out of sleep for hours, and I was absolutely exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to get some actual sleep, but my mind wasn't letting me get anywhere near a moment's peace.

Every time I closed my eyes, I would suddenly find myself staring into Richard's eyes, seemingly engraved on the backs of my eyelids.

Every time I drew a breath, I would be reminded of how close I had come to drawing my last, and wondered just how close it had been for Richard.

Every time I heard a sound, my heart skipped a beat as I lay wondering if it was someone coming to finish the job.

There were times, however, where I'd finally succeed in escaping the pain and confusion of reality by drifting off into a dream world. However, it was only to relive my rediscovered memories, which ultimately came to an abrupt end by my sudden coming back to reality in a state of shock and disorientation.

I could not rest.

"This is ridiculous," I murmured aloud to the air of the night. I needed a break. I needed to sleep; my mind needed time to process everything that was going on.

I decided to try once more to get some sleep, and closed my eyes. I tried to force the immediate mental image of Richard out of my mind, though it was in vain; his eyes were glued to mine, staring into my soul, forcing me to stare into his.

My eyes flew open as I was struck with a sudden thought.

I had to see him.

I slowly pulled myself up to a sitting position, and thought the idea over. The more I thought it through, the more I approved. I came to the conclusion that there were two possible outcomes.

Either I would go see Richard and get all my questions answered, and try to reach some sort of state of mental peace; or I would go see Richard, and he would kill me.

Either way, my mental unrest would hopefully come to an end.

I lifted my legs over the side of the bed and slowly pushed myself to my feet. I stood still for a few seconds, testing myself. Cautiously I took a few tentative steps forward, carefully shifting my weight from one foot to the next. I smiled and decided I was well enough to walk.

I turned to the door and was hit with a sudden problem: what if there was a guard outside? I saw no need for me to be kept under guard, but if I was in the demon's shoes, I'd probably want to keep me under surveillance too, just in case.

I made my way over to the door and softly knocked on its surface. Receiving no reply, I drew a deep breath and held it as I reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open.

No one.

I let out the breath I had been holding, and peered into the dark hallway. The first thought that came to mind was if these demons had ever heard of artificial lighting, besides the night lamp that illuminated my room from the night table. I glared into the darkness, unable to distinguish any distinct forms or doors. With a shrug, I quietly slipped out of the room, and closed the door behind me with a soft snap.

I stretched my left arm out until it met the hard, rigid surface of the wall. I frowned and experimentally brushed my hand along the wall; it was rough like bricks, but I couldn't feel the pattern characteristic of a wall layered with bricks. Slowly I continued forward, gently passing my hand along the wall as guidance.

After what felt like an hour of slowly dragging myself forward, I paused and turned to look back. I figured I had followed a straight path, but I failed to make out any signs of the room I had left behind me.

"Nice," I muttered. It was all I needed to get lost in this hallway of darkness. Still looking back, I took a step forward to continue, but my body bumped into something solid.

"What-" My head snapped back in front of me, and I froze as I found myself glaring into a pair of glowing yellow orbs. I went to take a step back, but before my foot had touched the ground, I felt something clamp over my mouth and felt something snake around my back. Then my feet left the ground, and we were moving as one.

I didn't even have the chance to struggle before I heard the click of a door opening, and found myself being carried into a room not dissimilar from my own. I heard the door close with an audible snap, and felt my heart begin to pound painfully against my ribs.

We moved over to a couch against the far wall onto which I was placed gently. The hand was removed from over my mouth and my captor retreated back to the door. I heard the soft flick of a switch, and the room was suddenly illuminated by a soft, cream-colored light. I squinted in the sudden brightness, and my heart nearly stopped at the image of the person before me.  
It was Richard.

"Vero." Richard looked down at me in disappointment and what I thought looked like anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

I gawked at him, mouth slightly agape. I was still having trouble getting over the fact that he was here. I had envisioned him lying in a bed somewhere, beaten beyond recognition, hanging to life by a thread... As I looked Richard over, there was absolutely no evidence that he had been in any sort of fight, let alone nearly died.

He saw my surprise, and smirked. "So Stryker told you about my near-death experience."

"Stryker?" I automatically repeated, the sound of the unfamiliar name bringing me back to my senses. Richard arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Stryker, the guy who first came to see you when you were with the Guardians."

"Oh." The realization dawned that I had never been introduced to that man, that I had never been told his name. I shrugged it off, and nodded. Richard let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Yeah. He told you the truth."

Immediately I felt a pang of guilt. Some part of me deep inside had been hoping that Stryker had lied, that he had merely exaggerated in telling me that Richard had nearly died because of me. Now that it had been confirmed by Richard himself, it felt so much more real, so much more meaningful.

"I... I-I'm...." I stuttered, suddenly feeling the need to apologize, but finding I couldn't. Things were so upside-down; why was I apologizing? Shouldn't he be the first to apologize for nearly killing me?

"I would apologize to you for what I did, but I can't. I did what I had to do to keep you safe from Jan."

My eyes widened and swiveled up to meet his. I was sure I had only thought my feelings in my mind, but I wondered if I had somehow said them aloud without being aware of having done so.

"No, you didn't," Richard said, chuckling softly. "You were right about only having thought everything."

I arched an eyebrow. "Then..."

"How did I know what you were thinking?"

I nodded, somehow not surprised that Richard had known what I was going to ask. Richard smiled.

"One of our pretty handy skills... If we focus enough on hearing your thoughts, it's as if you actually say them aloud to us."

"Oh." I frowned, upset by the sudden awareness of the intrusion in my mental privacy. Richard shook his head lightly.

"We can't always read your thoughts. Somehow your mind shields the private thoughts and feelings and only allows us access to more general ones."

I frowned, confused. "How would my mind know which thoughts I think are private enough to hide?"

Richard shrugged. "The mysteries of the human mind are called mysteries for a reason."

"Oh."

He chuckled, and then his expression took on a more serious tone. "Back to my original question..." He advanced towards me. "What do you think you're doing, sneaking out of your room in the middle of the night?"

"Sneaking out?" I asked, taken aback by his accusing tone. "I wasn't sneaking out. I just couldn't sleep."

"So you just decide to take yourself on a ten cent tour?"

I shook my head in denial. "No, I just figured if I walked around a bit, it would help me fall asleep."

"You don't need to go exploring for that. You could have walked around your room in circles for all it mattered." Richard narrowed his eyes at me. "Why did you really leave your room?"

I glared up at him, growing frustrated with being treated like such a child. "Because I felt like it."

He took another step toward me, glowering. "Stop playing games with me, Vero. Why did you leave?"

I folded my arms defiantly across my chest. "Why? What I do doesn't matter to you."

As soon as I saw the reaction on his face, I dreaded having spoken to him in such a manner and wished I could have taken it back. I saw his eyes flash a split second before he reacted.

"Don't you DARE say that again," he hissed, livid. "I risked my _life_ for you. Don't you DARE tell me that what you do doesn't matter to me."

I tore my eyes away from his, the guilt soaring to an almost unbearable level. I brought my gaze down to the floor and stared at the light gray stone. From above I heard Richard sigh, and I felt my body tense as he took a seat next to me.

"Look, Vero... I'm not going to lie to you."

Intrigued, I gave a small sigh and brought my head back up to look at him, blinking back a few tears. Richard's mouth was drawn in a tight line.

"It's... Not really safe for you here."

My mouth fell slightly open, my eyes wide. "What... What are you talking about?"

Richard shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "It's... It's a little complicated, but... There are some who don't want you here."

I arched an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

Richard let out a long sigh. "There are some who think getting you involved in everything was a bad idea to begin with. They think humans can't be trusted."

I shivered at the mention of humans, being slapped once again with the fact that Richard belonged to the supernatural, a realm far beyond my own. I looked at him and wondered how it was possible that something so horrid could lie beneath something that appeared to be so... good.

With a small pause, Richard continued. "Most were alright with the fact that you were being brought into our realm, but as events continued, more and more began to oppose the way I... Handled things."

I frowned. "The way you 'handled things'?"

Richard nodded. "I tried to get more of us to get you back from the Guardians. Everyone including the council said Stryker would be enough, but I wanted backup. I wanted to know 100% that we would get you out of there." Here Richard's expression darkened. "The council overruled me, and I had no choice but to agree to let Stryker go alone. But... I went against the council decision, and I went myself."

I nodded as I remembered the way Stryker had so violently opposed Richard's presence. I could only guess that Stryker had not wanted to appear to be defying orders as well.

"That's right." Richard nodded. "Stryker and I are close, though, so he understood. He had my back, but..."

I arched an eyebrow as Richard trailed off. "But?"

He sighed. "But even he thinks I shouldn't have gone as far as I did to get you out of there."

I nodded to show I understood. I obviously wasn't worth Richard risking his life. I suddenly frowned as a question materialized in my mind.

"Richard... Why _did_ you risk your life to get me away from the Guardians?"

Richard shrugged. "I... I honestly don't know, Vero. I just... I felt I had to. I can't explain it." He looked down at his hands. "I have this irresistible urge to protect you from Jan. It's like I'm meant to save you from him."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. _That_ was his reason for playing Mr. Hero, for wanting to save my life so badly that he'd risk his own in the process?

He looked back up at me, his lips curving upward in a slight smile. "I will protect you from him."

I nodded and returned the smile, only out of courtesy. I was caught by surprise when Richard's tone suddenly shifted.

"So now you understand why it's dangerous for you to be anywhere by yourself. Why did you leave your room?"

I sighed and figured after everything he had told me, I owed him at least an honest reply. I drew a deep breath and said, "I had to find you."

Richard blinked, bewildered. "Find me? Why?"

I nodded. "I had to see if you were okay."

Richard's mouth fell slightly agape. "You wanted to know that badly if I was okay?"

I shrugged sheepishly and looked at my feet. I could feel my cheeks growing red, and hoped he wouldn't notice.

Much to my regret, he did.

"Vero... You don't... I mean, you can't... You can't still like me?"

I looked away, my eyes brimming with tears. I had never been so confused in my life. I hated everything Richard meant... It was his fault I was in this situation; his fault my life was at risk... It was his fault for making me fall for him, his fault for hiding behind a beautiful façade when he was actually a jerk on the inside...

And yet... And yet...

I just couldn't **not** like him.

"Vero?"

I blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden mention of my name, and a few tears escaped from my eyes and rolled down my cheek. I cursed and raised my left hand to brush them away, but Richard's hand was there before my own. My breath caught in my lungs as his thumb gently caressed my cheek, taking the tears away. I slowly lifted my eyes to look at him.

He was looking down at me, his eyes soft with sadness.

"Vero... You're crying...?"

For a moment, I was too stunned to think, mesmerized by the sensation of his thumb against my cheek and locked in his gaze. I felt my heart flutter, and then I let out a short gasp.

"No-!" I reached up and hastily shoved his hand off my face. He drew his arm back, startled by my sudden action. I turned away from him and buried my face in my hands.

What was wrong with me? I couldn't still have feelings for him... After all he had put me through... After all I had found out about him... It wasn't possible that I could still feel affection for him. I didn't _want_ to feel affection for him.

"Vero...?"

I felt the soft touch of a hand on my shoulder, and my false barrier of control was shattered. I had felt the oncoming wave of tears and had tried to prevent it, but now the tears were pouring out of my eyes, cascading down my face in a silent waterfall.

I was suddenly aware of two arms around my body, and I choked as I was pulled into Richard's embrace. He didn't say a word; he simply held me to his body, staring over my head as the tears flowed down my face and spilled onto his arm. In the split second I had to make a decision - accept the embrace or pull away - I was overcome by long built up desire and temptation. I turned my head and buried it into his shoulder, and allowed him to give me comfort.


End file.
